As much as I have been blogging about dance technique issues you would think I have not been paying any attention to my dressmaking. Not so, not so.

But before I go there, I want to post this link to Kathleen Fasanella’s tutorial on “centered zipper construction.” My blog analytics show that lots of folks come here looking for info on putting in a zipper…I have also put the link under the Feisdress information on the left of the blog for future reference.

Back to the dressmaking…

1) Susan and I have been very busy working with an established school to design new school dresses. Very interesting process, and so far I am enjoying this immensely. I say so far because I know that this is not always an easy endeavor. Yet, the folks that we are working with are wonderful, very clear in their ideas and open to discussion. This is my first time being involved in the school design process from the very start…very interesting.

I have been looking at sources for fabric for this school. We need to find a supplier that can always get us what we want, but we also need to be realistic about the types of fabrics that we choose not only for their sturdiness and washability, but for the fact that they will still be available through the supplier 10 years from now!!

Designing the new embroidery has also been very interesting for me to be a part of. As soon as that is finalized, I will get busy digitizing while Susan develops their school patterns.

2) I have been digitizing the dress designs for a school account that I’ve had. Susan has been doing that by hand, but has decided to give that up. My idea of great fun is digitizing her designs!

3) We are working on our current custom solo dress. This is a client that has worked with Susan before…very nice folks. They chose a new design from Susan’s newest Feisdress design cd. It is a 2 piece, 10 panel dress. We went shopping with the dancer’s mother for more fabrics last week and then did up some panels with different fabric combinations for them to choose from.

Here are the three choices we sent. There is no embroidery yet…useless to mess with that until the colors are chosen.

I was going to do one more combination, but they like this one. This was the 1st one Susan and I put together…messed around quite a long time deciding which fabrics to put together. It is on the fabric that will be used for the underskirt. Now to start messing with thread colors and finish the digitizing.

These are the rejects.

Susan has an incredible eye for color. I know what I do and don’t like, but I do not have her ability to look at a color and know what will work with it. This process was educational and fun once again. But now she gone on a trip and I have to decide on thread colors myself!!! Ack!